A man armed with a knife stabbed two people to death and injured 12 others in Dashilan, a major commercial center near Qianmen Street in downtown Beijing, the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Beijing Municipal Committee confirmed last night.

The tragedy occurred at around 6:40 pm Thursday.

The 46-year-old suspect, Zhang Jianfei, a man from Jilin Province in Northeast China, was captured at the scene by police on patrol.

The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital and two security guards died later despite medical treatment, police sources said.

The case is under further investigation.

Dashilan shopping street remained closed by press time, said a police officer at Dashilan police station.

A nurse at Xuanwu Hospital, nearest to the scene, said the hospital received some injured victims, but she declined to give details.

An armed police officer said that the mayor and police chief of Beijing arrived at the scene shortly after the incident.

The attacker stabbed one person in the back, according to an eyewitness in the nearby Wancheng Hotel.

Police said they would strengthen security management in key areas and downtown areas to ensure the safety of local residents and tourists.